Friday, November 30, 2007

Confiture!

confiture watercolor - Paris Breakfasts I'm posting in time today for breakfast/ petit dejeuner...Jam anyone?Christine Ferber confiture - Paris BreakfastsI love jam almost as much as I love macarons...
I spent a lot of time gazing at these jam jars of Christine Ferber confiture at the Lafayette Gourmet.Christine Ferber confiture - Paris BreakfastsJust a portion of the different flavors/ parfums Christine Ferbier makes. You can make them yourself if you get her book.Pierre Herme confiture - Paris BreakfastsEverybody makes jam!
Pierre Herme works with Christine Ferber to create special flavors that tie in with his pastry collections.Laduree confiture - Paris BreakfastsFrench patisseries have jam too.
confiture - Paris Breakfasts I was influenced by jam from an early age...
adore their handmade labels. The French labels with handwriting on them are especially endearing - as if your grandmother made them.
My confiture label - Paris BreakfastsThat's why I redesigned the Paris Breakfasts banner as a jam jar label.
le jardin des gourmandises - Paris Breakfasts A real grandmother was at the SALON DU CHOCOLAT selling her jams. Grandmere Ezilda Lapasse Depardieu of le jardin des gourmandises from Domaine du Tronchay. You can go and stay in her Chambres d'Hôtes and eat jam morning, noon and night = Heaven. I bought the "Fruits Rouges" made of (all red fruits) fraises, cassis, groseilles, griottes, framboises =Maim
confiture - Paris Breakfasts

Thursday, November 29, 2007

THE RITZ Paris

THE RITZ Paris - Parisbreakfasts Have you been to The Ritz for tea? Me neither...THE RITZ Paris - ParisbreakfastsLet's go!THE RITZ Paris - ParisbreakfastsHey, Paris Breakfasts readers you have made me intrepid! Life would be so dull without you. I know you expect your Paris correspondent to go EVERYWHERE and report back.THE RITZ Paris - Parisbreakfasts And how could I miss out on THE RITZ?!THE RITZ Paris - Parisbreakfasts Did you know the Ritz bar played a role in women's liberation? It's where ladies were first allowed to go unescorted for tea out in public in the early days of the 20th century!THE RITZ Paris - Parisbreakfasts The Ritz bar looks out on this bucolic garden...Floral arrangements by VARDAAnd take a casual stroll around the lobby...
Soak in the marble, the chandeliers, the impressive jungle-wild floral arrangements from designer Varda. Did you know you can take floral arranging classes with VARDA at the Ecole Ritz Escoffier?

Act like you own the place...
Pretend you're a Pop star or a president or have money to burn...
What the hell, pretend you're Hemingway!
That's putting on The Ritz!

THE RITZ Paris - ParisbreakfastsDon't miss their fab loo. I found myself taking shots of designer faucets all over Paris...
THE RITZ Paris - Parisbreakfasts Not to forget their divine hot chocolate-thick, lush and riche...
THE RITZ Paris - Parisbreakfasts Dive in PB readers!
It's breakfast time and this only set me back 12 Euros like the Meurice.
The chocolates are a bonus.
Now LET'S PUT ON THE RITZ with Fred Astair!


Wednesday, November 28, 2007

BY SPECIAL REQUEST...

Macaron watercolor - Parisbreakfasts Some of you have kindly written me and said you'd like to buy a watercolor...Macarons - ParisbreakfastsSo I'm thinking of having a HOLIDAY SALE next week. Macarons watercolor - Parisbreakfasts And I thought I'd ask if you had any special request?
Would you like some Xmas decorations in your watercolor?
Macarons - ParisbreakfastsOr some of these santos figures I got in Provence?Macarons - ParisbreakfastsOr dollhouse tea sets?
Macarons - ParisbreakfastsFrench macaron boxes..?
Macarons - ParisbreakfastsLittle cafe au lait bowls? I don't have any big ones...
Macarons - Parisbreakfasts That silver tray from...L'Ile Flottante?
Macarons - ParisbreakfastsWould you like Eiffel Towers in your watercolors?
Macarons - Parisbreakfasts Birds?
Macarons - ParisbreakfastsOr EVERYTHING?
TELL ME
TELL ME
TELL ME!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

BEAR Street...

Bear watercolor - Parisbreakfasts Do you believe in synchronicity?
Or "meaningful coincidences," as Jung calls it...
Bears - ParisbreakfastsJust before I left for Paris I was rushing to finish a menu illustration full of bears...

rue aux Ours The apartment I rented in the Marais was on rue aux Ours (BEAR street), pronounced, ru Oh-Zores... I still can't pronounce it! Jette in Danmark My first day in Paris I met Jette from Denmark in the street...
polar bear - Parisbreakfasts And don't you know she's writing and illustrating a book about Polar bears! So naturally I kept seeing more BEARS EVERYWHERE!
Un Jour Sur terre - Parisbreakfasts This poster in the Metro was unavoidable.
l'Ours du Marais - Parisbreakfasts And a 5-minute walk from my apartment was this wonderful specialty boutique, L'Ours du Marais on 18, rue Pavee, 75004. They sell ONLY BEARS of course.
Russian bears - Parisbreakfasts They have tons of these Russian carved wooden bears from the town of Bogorodskoye.
Teddu bears - Parisbreakfasts Plus all manner of silly out-fitted teddy bears or nounours....
Bears -ParisbreakfastsBear stamps, bear tins, bear T-shirts...it goes on and on.
Teddy Bear Tea - ParisbreakfastsPlenty of bear china too. I was looking for a GREEN bear for my cousin Louise, but that was the ONE bear they didn't have...
les nounours a la guimauve -Paris BreakfastsToday I found among my photos these marshmallow bears or les nounours a la guimauve from La Mere du Famille.
Isn't that synchronicity?
Hi Jette!
How are your bears doing? :)

Monday, November 26, 2007

Guimauve

GUIMAUVE watercolor - Paris Breakfasts This last trip to Paris I learned to love Guimauve.

GUIMAUVE - Paris BreakfastsChocolate-covered guimauve or marshmallows are called "Nounours" at patisserie PAIN DE SUCRE. Nounours after chocolate-covered bears made by HARIBO - les nounours à la guimauve for kiddies.

GUIMAUVE watercolor - Paris BreakfastsA great fuss is made over marshmallows in France.

GUIMAUVE - Paris BreakfastsIn Pain de Sucre's windows exotic flavors safron and cassis. I nearly got arrested for taking this picture.

GUIMAUVE - Paris Breakfasts Gerard Mulot has them too.

GUIMAUVE - Paris Breakfasts Boissier in multi-colors and multi-flavors.

GUIMAUVE - Paris Breakfasts I bought a packet of guimauve tied up in knots at La Mere de Famille, planning to paint them - I ate them instead.

GUIMAUVE - Paris BreakfastsThese distant relatives to our American marshmallows march to a different tune. They're less sugary and come in subtle flavors. Plus they cost a lot more than their US cousins.

Laduree - Paris BreakfastsImagine you are biting into a pastel cookie box...

GUIMAUVE - Paris BreakfastsThere were piles of guimauve at Salon du Chocolat.
GUIMAUVE - Paris Breakfasts They come covered in dark and white chocolate too. I love how the French take a kid's treat and make it sophisticated. They give it a witty twist that engages your mind as well as your taste buds.

GUIMAUVE - Paris BreakfastsHELLO KITTY guimauve.
Anyone know where you can find guimauve in the US? Dean & Deluca has them. Marcolini does have them at $13 a pop. Just to clarify -
French Guimauve is the Audrey Hepburn of marshmallows.